The Unbearable Lightness of Fred

So we've got to take that situation very seriously, but obviously a military attack is the last thing in the world that you want to have to do, and there's some things that we can do that probably will not necessitate that.

On terrorism:

I think part of what we've got to do with regard to the global terrorist problem I talked about is for all the forces of civilization, all of our friends and people who love freedom need to understand that this is a battle against freedom and tyranny worldwide, that the good guys need to be on one side.

On Social Security—keeping in mind he used to support Social Security privatization:

Bipartisan leadership must address this issue as part of a national conversation, remembering that those yet to be born also have a seat at the table.

He can set his jaw and wince all he likes, but this isn't someone who's torn up over the serious issues. It's the speech of someone who gets that a presidential candidate should, you know, probably sound and look serious.

The rationale for Thompson's run has been refreshingly phony: It's all about his looks, his voice, his personality. His backers have confused all of that with leadership, and Thompson, like the worst actor, is starting to believe his reviews. That's a mistake. The point of Fred Thompson is that he was never serious.

David Weigel is an associate editor of reason.